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Thursday, February 28, 2013

The website wdwmagic.com is reporting today that the check-in and launching point of the Wild Africa Trek tour has relocated from behind the Dawa Bar to the Kilimanjaro Safari FastPass area. Take note of the change if you have upcoming reservations.

So why is this worthy of a blog posting and not just a blurb in a News Round-up? Well, that’s because this appears to be more evidence recent rumors of changes to this side of the park are in fact true. And the future of DAK is starting to take shape slowly but surely.

Why does the Trek’s gathering point need to be moved? Simple, recent rumors suggested the space behind the Tusker House will soon see the construction of a new permanent theater for the Festival of the Lion King, which is being moved in preparation of the leveling of Camp Minnie-Mickey in favor of the new Avatarland project.

All of little changes we have seen the last couple of weeks, including the recent meet-n-greet shuffling, might seem small individually. But put them all together and you have more evidence the rumors are spot-on. The question now is, since we now have a clear idea of what DAK will look like in a few years time, is it going to be a better place when all of this is completed? Speaking for myself, I would say certainly yes.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Changes Coming to Character Meet and Greets: Last week we reported that Mickey and Minnie Mouse meet and greets would be moved from their current location at Camp Minnie-Mickey to a new area being created where the Beastly Bazaar once stood. Today we can report a few more tweeks to these locations. According to a report by adisneyworldafterall.com it appears Donald and Daisy Duck will be moving to the Discovery Island boat dock area while characters from Winnie the Pooh will soon be appearing at the aforementioned Camp Minnie-Mickey.

Nothing all that earth-shattering here, but there is a something worth mentioning in the use of the Camp. The worst kept secret is that the new Avatar Pandora area will be built in the Camp’s current location. So why start a new meet and greet there? Can this be interpreted as a clue to exactly how far off construction of Avatarland is...

Celebrating Frog’s: Today’s posting on the Disney Parks Blog tells us about an event planned for March 7 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. (an event they appear to have no name for...oddly)

When guests visit Rafiki’s Planet Watch, they will be able to make toad abodes (special homes for frogs and toads) for their backyards, try leaping like a frog, listen to frog calls, examine amphibian adaptations, and meet some cool amphibians and their keepers...

Guests also can learn about the critically endangered Puerto Rican crested toad, which we are raising at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and releasing in their native habitat to re-populate the species in an area where these toads once thrived but are now considered extinct.

More animal and conservation events planned: The same Disney Parks Blog posting also shares a schedule of events for 2013 aimed at “connecting families with nature”

April 22: Party for the Planet for Earth Day

May 8: International Migratory Bird Day

May 23: World Turtle Day

June 5: Pollinator Day

July 25: Tiger Day

August 1: Primate Day

August: Cotton-Top Tamarin Month

September 5: International Vulture Awareness Day

September 26: Elephant Day

October 31: Bat Day

November 12: Rhino Day

Truth be told, we here at Jambo Everyone absolutely LOVE these kinds of events. They may not be big flashy media-filled events but they are just the kind of fun things a park focused on conservation should be doing. Kudos to DAK once again!

Baby Gibbon born at DAK: A few Twitter reports suggest a new baby gibbon has been born and can now be seen in Asia. Disney usually releases photos of these milestones, but they have yet to with regards to this one. As soon as they do, we will let you know.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Quite some time ago, the shop known as the Beastly Bazaar closed at Discovery Island. It was announced at the time of the closing that the space was being converted into a new Meet-n-Greet area. It was generally assumed that this was paving the way for Disney to close down Camp Minnie Mickey to make room for Pandora or Avatarland or whatever they decide to call it.

Well, Disney has finally revealed some details on the new Meet-n-Greet building. It is to be called the Adventurers Outpost. According to the Disney Parks Blog, the new area will be a gathering place where "explorers" can come to together to share tales of their adventures. This sounds like the area may be the hub and launching point for the Wilderness Explorers interactive game which, coincidentally, is also set to debut in the Spring.

There are some other interesting little tidbits in this post. It clearly states that only Mickey and Minnie will be there for meet and greets. So what about the rest of the characters currently seen at Camp Minnie Mickey such as Pocohontas or Baloo? Well, according to the post, you will still be able to meet characters at the Camp. And Festival of the Lion King will still be playing there. That says to me that Disney does not have plans to close the land any time soon. It seems it will still be there at least through the springtime.

This is not to say Camp Minnie Mickey has escaped the wrath of Avatarland. But it certainly seems to say that construction is not happening anytime soon.

Book a Disney Vacation and Help Save Wildlife!: Alright, maybe this isn’t park news but it is really important to us! Destinations in Florida, a top authorized Disney Vacation Planner, has partnered with us to help save animals. Every time you book a Disney World Vacation, or even request a quote, Destinations in Florida and Jambo Everyone will make a donation to our Conservation Partners. Click the link below to start booking!

While we love to write about and photograph Disney’s Animal Kingdom, everyone of us at this website hope that one day soon we can measure our success solely on how much we can help these organizations. So if you are planning to go to WDW, use Destinations in Florida and help us help these people working on the front-lines of conservation.

New Menu at Tamu Tamu: For all our Food Fanatics out there, the Tamu Tamu counter service in Africa has some new menu items. The Tandori Chicken Salad and Turkey and Swiss Focaccia have been replaced by a Roasted Chicken Salad Sandwich and a South African Quinoa Salad. If you check them out, please let us know what you think. DAK has set the bar for great counter-service at WDW, so let’s hope these new items are up to that standard.

Changes to Cheetah Area at Kilimanjaro Safari: Reports are emerging, mostly by Parkscope via their Twitter feed, of a permit being filed by Walt Disney World to begin construction of some kind on the cheetah habitat that is part of the Kilimanjaro Safari ride. No details have been released so far, but we will keep you posted if we here more.

Short Park Hours Returning Soon: I know we tend to go on and on about this, but these few days represent the last of the precious night hours at DAK for a while. After this weekend, the holiday week crowd’s will be gone and so will the chance to tour the park after sundown. (Time to go back to that little white lie about how the park has to close at sunset because of the animals...silly)

Friday, February 15, 2013

As the ideas that would become Disney's Animal Kingdom began to form, one of the most important choices imagineers would make would be that of the icon. Magic Kingdom and Disneyland have their castles, Epcot has the Spaceship Earth ball, and Disney MGM Studios had, well, either the Great Movie Ride or the Earfel Tower (and now a giant hat for pin station). So what would the newest park have?

image copyright Disney

Many ideas were floated around and some we will cover over the course of time here. But one of the concepts that got the closest to being the winner was the carousel. And not just any carousel, but a three layered carousel. So what does that mean? Well, the idea behind the attraction would have been essentially, three different rides in one. At the top, there would have been a dumbo-style ride wherein guests would have flown on birds, butterflies, and bats. On that level, guests would be able to lift the vehicle up and down much like Alladin's Flying Carpets and Dumbo. The middle level would have allowed guests to ride land animals such as elephants, lions and zebra like on a typical carousel. Finally, the bottom level was a boat type spinner. At this level, guests would "board" dolphins, hippos and fish and circle around the other two portions of the attraction.

The idea itself makes a lot of sense as a concept for the park. The Animal Kingdom is about animals and the natural world, so maybe the icon should show that. This choice, in that sense, is not far off from the icon we got. The Tree of Life's idea is to show all the animals linked in the natural world and this would have done just that, as well. To me, the Tree of Life is much more stunning but the ideas for the two are not far removed.

image copyright Disney

But there were several issues with it. Most importantly, it just wouldn't have been all that big. Icons are supposed to be eye-catching, drawing you into the park. While certainly cute, and perhaps even impressive in a sense, this would not have had the stature of the Tree of Life with visibility throughout the park. Now, with Everest built, the Tree of Life holds its own in impressiveness, this carousel would be dwarfed by it. The carousel also would have required quite a bit of water in the center of the Discovery Island itself. At least one piece of concept art shows a fairly sizeable body of water. This would fundamentally have changed the layout of the central hub that is Discovery Island. The Tree of Life just made more sense from a landscaping point of view.

But I have to say, this does seem like a fun concept for the Animal Kingdom. And, like all good ideas, they never truly die at Disney Imagineering. A similar idea is found at Tokyo DisneySea in the two leveled Menagerie Carousel. But still, this concept would be a nice addition to the Animal Kingdom somewhere. It would be a fun addition to Camp Minnie Mickey if they decide to bail on Avatarland. Or perhaps, Chester and Hester could build a prehistoric version for their Dinoland. But I think the best place would be out in Rafiki's Planet Watch. It fits the theme of that are very well indeed, and would give the area a boost drawing people to the train station that leads you out to the Planet Watch.

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Happy Valentine's Day from all of us here at Jambo Everyone! And to celebrate let's take a look at some cute photos of DAK's sweetest couples. First is a pair of Lappet-faced Vultures sitting together on their nest in Discovery Island...

How about a couple of Asian Smalled-Clawed Otters snuggling in the stream, also on Discovery Island just a few yards away?

Over in Africa, on the savanna of the Harambe Wildlife Reserve, we find a pair of Masai Giraffe. Relatively new to the Reserve, this pair never seem too bar apart from each other...

These two Scarlet Macaws are generally found sitting together in the Oasis, and are often the first chance guests to DAK have of seeing animals up close...

Here is an incredibly adorable pair of Okapi, found together along the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail, trying to hide from our camera...

Here is a pair of inseparable Manadarin Ducks. The male is the colorful one, but my wife would point out that the female is probably the practical one!

Finally, I know I have already posted a photo of giraffes, but who doesn't love this picture? This appears to be an exceptionally affectionate Reticulated Giraffe. That or he has a really bad itch on his nose...

So Happy Valentines Day from all of us. Give your loved ones a hug, and your four-legged ones too. If you want to do something special, how about a trip to our Conservation Pageand make a donation to one of our Conservation Partners so they can help save our wildlife for future generations.

Safari Mike is apparently somewhere in the jungles of South America to tell us about the stunningly beautiful Scarlet Macaw. Click here to read his dispatch.

A popular pet, macaws throughout the world also face a struggle to survive in the wild. To help make sure these birds continue to flourish in their natural habitat, check out the ARA Project, and feel free to send a donation to these folks who are working on the front line of conservation.

Due to the fascinating wildlife at DAK and AKL, the tours offered there are, in my humble opinion, the best on offer at Walt Disney World. The Wild Africa Trek might be pricey, but I have yet to meet someone who experienced it and didn't think it was amazing. But the other tours are very impressive as well. Enjoy!

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

A New VP in Charge of Disney’s Animal Kingdom: Last month Disney announced another in a long and apparently never-ending series of executive “shake-ups”, including DAK’s head Michael Colglazier being shipped out to California to take over as the head of Disneyland. That change was effective as of February 1. The new VP in charge of the Animal Kingdom is now Josh D’Amaro formerly of Adventures by Disney.

Extended Park Hours for This Week: I know we tend to go on and on about this, but I would hate for DAK fans to miss a chance to see the park at night. With the holiday week coming, this week’s schedule sees the park open past sunset almost every night. Plus, there is a 7am EMH schedule for Tuesday, Feb 19 which gives the early risers a chance for a sunrise safari. Don’t miss it!

Kali River Rapids Scheduled to Reopen: Also in time for the President’s Week crowds, Kali River Rapids is scheduled to reopen after a refurbishment that will have lasted just shy of a month. Get them ponchos ready!

Why do we love DAK so much? Well there are dozens of reasons, but this story pretty much takes the cake...

image copyright Disney

A couple of weeks ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the International Crane Foundation alerted the animal experts at Disney’s Animal Kingdom of an injured endangered Whooping Crane found in South Florida. The bird was part of a reintroduction project aimed at repopulating the specie. Locals in the area saw the bird and reported it injured.

image copyright Disney

The DAK folks traveled to the area, found the crane, captured and cared for it at the park. Well, the great news is that this morning via the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Facebook page, Scott Tidmus, a zoological manager at Disney's Animal Kingdom, posted a photo of the rehabilitated bird being released back into the wild! Kwaheri to this magnificent bird, and the best of luck to you. And a collective “asante sana” for the great work done by the DAK folks

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

When I think of the Boneyard I don't think of a park with a slide and monkey bars. I think of an extraordinary playground where you can dig up bones like a scientist. Not only that, but when you enter you can climb on a fake jeep. Over by that area, you can step on dinosaur footprints and they make noises like a dinosaur roaring. When you look up a small set of stairs, you can go and try to open the door. Behind that door, a man is yelling to shut it. I also like all the different fossils of dinosaurs

In the summer, it is always fun to get a little wet in the water falls flowing down the rocks by the jeep. In those rocks, there are tunnels to run through. When I go through that tunnel, I like the pretend I'm running from the boulder from Indiana Jones.

By that area, there is a large set of stairs that goes to a rope and wood play house. There are ramps and tunnels to run through, and rope bridges and ladders to climb. Once you get to the second floor, the last floor, there is the entrance to the digging area. You have to walk over the walkway with dinosaur bones over you.

In the digging area, there are bones of dinosaurs under the sand. Watch out. The sand can get trapped in your shoes and socks. But besides that, its always an exciting and astonishing place. It really goes good with the theme of the dinosaur ride and Dinoland. Its like there is a dinosaur bone searching area outside the Dino Institute.

Overall, its a really cool and fun park to spend quality time in. To me, it is one of my favorite places in the Animal Kingdom park. It is also my favorite playground in the world.

By Explorer MickeyMickey is a contributing writer to Jambo Everyone. He is eleven years old and yet a seasoned veteran of the Animal Kingdom. He treks through the park uncovering the kinds of things an intrepid young explorer finds fascinating.

Monday, February 11, 2013

There is a simple way to tell the difference between male and female ostriches. Like most birds, the colorful one is generally the male. In the ostrich that means the male bird has deep black feathers with bright white primaries and tails. The females are a drab brownish gray. Males in the bird world are more colorful so they can attract the females. Females need no such tricks.

Then there is Sally. She resides at Kilimanjaro Safaris. And she is black feathered. Sally wasn't always like this. For years, she was brown just like any other female ostrich. There was a male, too. But he was causing problems. Apparently, they didn't like it that he was attacking the ride vehicles. So, he had to be removed from the exhibit and that left the safari with no male ostriches. The next time Sally molted, she grew in black feathers.

This is rare, but not unheard of. When there are no male ostriches, one female changes color so that it appears there is a male around. Males tend to protect young and territories from predators. They want the predators to think there is a man around the house to fight off potential problems. So Sally is now that "male."

Friday, February 8, 2013

This December, my family and I had the pleasure of staying at our beloved resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge, during the Christmas season. If you've ever had the chance to stay at, or visit this wonderful resort, you know how much detail goes in to the African decor. Well, rest assured, that same level of detail goes into the resort's Christmas decorating.

It was evident as soon as I stepped off the Magical Express and saw the beautiful African Christmas sconce decorations they had outside of the entrance.

Of course, what really stands out, though, is the over-40-foot Christmas tree that towers over the lobby. It fits in seamlessly with the lobby decor. It's almost as if they've shrunk the art, artifacts, and other decorative items around the resort to adorn the tree. The ornaments are wonderfully unique, and not like any ornaments you are used to. The tree is lit up with orange lights. Although this might seem odd for Christmas, trust me when I say that it goes perfectly with the colours of the ornaments, and of the resort, in general.

Once I picked my jaw up from the floor from looking at the gorgeous tree, I realized there were matching garlands all around the lobby, which were also wonderfully decorated.

The decor didn't stop in the lobby. The Mara, Zawadi Marketplace, and Boma all had Christmas trees and The Mara also had a wreath. The tree in Boma and Zawadi Marketplace was similarly decorated as the one in the lobby, however the tree in the Mara had more of a typical Christmas tree look, with different coloured spherical ornaments.

I think my favourite part of visiting Animal Kingdom Lodge at Christmastime, though, was listening to our traditional Christmas music in African languages and to an African beat. That was unique.

We adored being there for such a joyous season, and would encourage everyone to do the same. Don't forget to have your family photo taken in front of the lobby's tree by one of the PhotoPass photographers!

by Danielle Perry
Twitter: @DreaminofAKV

Danielle and her family are DVC Members and love to stay at Animal Kingdom Villas any time they visit Walt Disney World. They love the African decor, ambiance and animals, and thanks to their frequent visits to the resort, they hope to visit South Africa one day.

Earlier this week, we reported in our News Round-Up that the new zebras in Kilimanjaro Safari had not been “on stage” for the past few days. This is the herd being placed into the area once occupied by the Little Red animatronic scene and was the replacement of the anti-poaching storyline found in the attraction since opening in 1998.

The official word we got from Disney is they are currenty doing some “habitat redesign” on the new zebra area and anything resembling construction would disturb the herd too much to leave them out. So until this work is done, the zebras need to stay offstage. The animal care staff expects this work to be completed soon.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean the herd can come right back onstage for Safari goers to see. Like any specie, zebras present specific challenges when in captivity, so any habitat change, even the smallest change, can mean a re-acclamation process that could take some time. Our Safari Mike tells me that the zebra, in fact, can be something of a mischievous animal that doesn’t always play well with friends so you never can predict these things.

And this brings me to yet another chance to gush a bit more about why Disney’s Animal Kingdom is such an amazing place. At any other theme park, when problems happen at an attraction it takes guys in hardhats to fix it. At DAK, it takes way more than that. It takes hardhats as well as amazing expertise in animals from around the world, along with some old fashioned trial and error. And that’s the greatness of the park.

Hopefully the new herd will be happily in their new and improved habitat soon making guests happy as well. Until then, if you really need a zebra fix head over to Kidani Village where you will find a gorgeous group of them. I suggest you go right before sundown, preferably before your dinner reservation at Sanaa. This can often be a time when these little hell-raisers can be very entertaining.

While you are at Kidani Village, be sure to have a chat with one of the cultural representatives hanging around the Pembe Savanna Overlook. They are friendly and fascinating folks who will happily tell you all about these wonderful creatures, as well as there homeland and the rest of Africa.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Safari Mike reports this week from Asia to tell us about the incredibly adorable Asian Small Clawed Otters. You can find these guys just to the left of the Tree of Life in the Discovery Island Area.

They have a great area where you can see them from above and from under water as well. When you turn left at the Tree, you will see a few steps down into a rock area. That is where the underwater viewing is. IF you are lucky to see them really active, they can be hilariously entertaining.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

No zebras at Kilimanjaro Safari: On our trip last week we rode on Kilimanjaro Safari a number of times throughout the week, only to find an empty area where the new zebra herd should be. Disney has not responded to our requests for an explanation but a Cast Member told our own Safari Mike that they were having some issues with the herd.

Springbok Herd coming along at Kilimanjaro Safari: One positive we can report with regards to new animals at Kilimanjaro Safari is that the Springbok herd is out and about along the savannah. Now, I am no expert here (we have Safari Mike for that) but we could see the adjustment happening right before our eyes. At the beginning of last week we observed the herd spending much of its time off by itself and there always was a green truck nearby. By week’s end they were venturing towards the termite mounds, so hopefully things are transitioning well for them.

Animal Kingdom Night Hours Coming: With President’s Week coming up, WDW has increased the park hours for DAK. That means there are quite a few opportunities in the coming weeks to experience the park at night, which is always a treat

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

If you want to fill your autograph book with awesome autographs Camp Minnie-Mickey is the place for you. Camp Minnie-Mickey has different characters from different Disney movies. I also like the statues of the characters. You can get good pictures of them, too. They all look like they are camping.

There are different tents that you can meet the characters in as you walk on the Camp Minnie-Mickey trail. You can meet Chip & Dale in one tent. Donald Duck has his own tent. Baloo & King Louie in another. Unfortunately, King Louie can not take autographs but he can get good pictures. My favorites to meet were Chip and Dale.

You can also discover more Disney characters in Camp Minnie-Mickey. There's a special meet and greet. Only when the park is open late, Pocohontas is there for you get her autograph and a picture.

by Discoverer MeghanMeghan is the newest, and youngest, contributing writer to Jambo Everyone. She may only be 8 years old, but she has been to Walt Disney World seven times already, and is an expert on all things kids want to know about Disney's Animal Kingdom

Monday, February 4, 2013

I suppose it goes without saying that we at Jambo Everyone have been away from our writing duties for the past week or two. Well, the good news is our lack of new content was due to the fact that the entire Jambo Everyone team was spending some quality time at Walt Disney World.

We spent 2 nights at the Bay Lake Tower (which I wouldn’t recommend to anyone except the die-hard Magic Kingdom fans) followed by 5 nights at the incredible Kidani Village. We spent many an hour at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and we have literally thousands of photographs to sift through and share with you, including these you see here.

The weather worked out perfectly for us. For most of our time there it was sunny but rather cool by Florida standards. That meant the animals throughout the park were much more active than you will find them on a sweltering summer day. It is another reason, along with somewhat diminished crowds, why the winter months is the best time to visit the park.

Needless to say we are back at the helm of the ship, so please visit here at the Bwana Blog and on Jambo Everyone. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter as well, especially if you want to get a look at our new photos. We have so many to share with you that it will take weeks to get them all up, so lots of new images are on the way.